Post by daniel on Aug 1, 2011 21:03:07 GMT -5
What follows is a walkthrough of my latest off-topic game with some photos. I hope you enjoy it.
I prefer my games to have a larger context and modern Raid Scale gaming allows me to do just that. It started with the brilliant GMT boardgames Downtown and Elusive Victory and I took it a step further with miniatures and other settings. The idea centers around getting a strike package through an Integrated Air Defense net and either putting bombs on target or stopping same. Each hex is 2.5 miles and each turn is one minute. Each miniature is a 1/600 Tumbling Dice jet which represents a flight of 2-4 aircraft.
After the unopposed but disappointing raid the day before, (text only details here: theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=236507 ) another mission is laid on with the same objective. It is unlikely this trip would be as sedate as the day before. Moscow made it clear to Damascus that CAP assistance over Beirut would be repaid with gratitude, and the Lebanese government is furious with NATO. As it turned out the Turks kicked open a Mig hornet nest.
Shortly after the raid went feet wet over the Med, their RWRs told them they’d been painted by Syrian then Lebanese radars. Griffin detected via radar and radio intercepts that one flight of three Syrian Mig-21-F-13’s from 67th Sqdn was airborne as Tarsus CAP with a possible second flight in the process of joining them. Griffin’s inability to verify this second flight would prove disastrous. Additional data revealed two flights of four Mig-21-PFMs from 54th Sqdn in the air near Damascus and receiving intercept orders. Lastly, Lebanese 4th Sqdn had a pair of Mirage III-E’s in the air looking for trouble.
Events would show the fate of the raid would come down to one wild minute of activity.
The map of the area. I took a CIA map of Lebanon from the internet, put 1.5” hexes on it with Photoshop, printed it out at 4’ x 4’ and laminated it:
Rescue02 edges into position:
Two flights of 54th Sqdn Migs hustle across the Bekaa Valley. The fight was over before they could arrive:
The scene right before the fateful minute. The Turkish strike is spaced at 20 second intervals (3-7 in the pic) with CAP flights (1&2 in the pic) off to the threatened landward side. 67th Sqdn Migs are inbound with the Lebanese Mirages beyond:
Migs streak past the oblivious CAP flights:
Turkish flight Dagger1 (5 in the pic) was the initial target but the Migs were unable to engage. They continued past and bounced Turk flight Dragon3 (4 in the pic) from behind. Dragon31 was shot down with no visible chute while Dragon32 was able to jettison and escape.
Seconds later the other flight of undetected Migs bounce the trailing bomber flight Dagger3. The flight leader is crippled then shot down as is Dagger33. Again no chutes are seen. The rest of Dagger3 flight jettison their bombs and mix it with the Migs, damaging one with cannon fire before they break away. Finally, the Lebanese gain a radar lock on Dagger flight 1 and launch Matra 530 SAR missiles, shooting down Dagger13 from BVR. Yet again the Turkish pilot is unable to eject and the flight is thrown into chaos.
Chaos fills the sky as aircraft scatter in all directions and the raid goes to pieces:
Just like that four Turkish Huns are falling into the sea and their CAP flights have yet to react effectively. The engaged Syrians are weapons-depleted and break contact but the Lebanese still have IR missiles and haven’t had enough. One bomber flight is still mission-capable as is one SEAD flight. That changes abruptly as the Turkish CAP fails to engage twice and the Lebanese Mirages tear into the last bombers, shooting Dagger22 down and ending the mission. Once more there is no chute.
The mission is aborted and everyone recalled. In exchange for one damaged Mig the Turks lost five F-100s and their pilots and never made it to the target. The Syrian 67th performed wonderfully and the Lebanese surprised everyone and fought like lions in defense of their homeland. Of course the Turks want revenge, but what will NATO decide for the next move? Will the Turks be allowed another try or is it time to call in US Navy carrier air?
I rated the Turks as average due to their heavy NATO training requirements. The Syrians are also average since most of them are survivors of intensive activity against the Israelis. I figured the Lebanese are trained and little more but that didn’t seem to hold them back today.
I prefer my games to have a larger context and modern Raid Scale gaming allows me to do just that. It started with the brilliant GMT boardgames Downtown and Elusive Victory and I took it a step further with miniatures and other settings. The idea centers around getting a strike package through an Integrated Air Defense net and either putting bombs on target or stopping same. Each hex is 2.5 miles and each turn is one minute. Each miniature is a 1/600 Tumbling Dice jet which represents a flight of 2-4 aircraft.
After the unopposed but disappointing raid the day before, (text only details here: theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=236507 ) another mission is laid on with the same objective. It is unlikely this trip would be as sedate as the day before. Moscow made it clear to Damascus that CAP assistance over Beirut would be repaid with gratitude, and the Lebanese government is furious with NATO. As it turned out the Turks kicked open a Mig hornet nest.
Shortly after the raid went feet wet over the Med, their RWRs told them they’d been painted by Syrian then Lebanese radars. Griffin detected via radar and radio intercepts that one flight of three Syrian Mig-21-F-13’s from 67th Sqdn was airborne as Tarsus CAP with a possible second flight in the process of joining them. Griffin’s inability to verify this second flight would prove disastrous. Additional data revealed two flights of four Mig-21-PFMs from 54th Sqdn in the air near Damascus and receiving intercept orders. Lastly, Lebanese 4th Sqdn had a pair of Mirage III-E’s in the air looking for trouble.
Events would show the fate of the raid would come down to one wild minute of activity.
The map of the area. I took a CIA map of Lebanon from the internet, put 1.5” hexes on it with Photoshop, printed it out at 4’ x 4’ and laminated it:
Rescue02 edges into position:
Two flights of 54th Sqdn Migs hustle across the Bekaa Valley. The fight was over before they could arrive:
The scene right before the fateful minute. The Turkish strike is spaced at 20 second intervals (3-7 in the pic) with CAP flights (1&2 in the pic) off to the threatened landward side. 67th Sqdn Migs are inbound with the Lebanese Mirages beyond:
Migs streak past the oblivious CAP flights:
Turkish flight Dagger1 (5 in the pic) was the initial target but the Migs were unable to engage. They continued past and bounced Turk flight Dragon3 (4 in the pic) from behind. Dragon31 was shot down with no visible chute while Dragon32 was able to jettison and escape.
Seconds later the other flight of undetected Migs bounce the trailing bomber flight Dagger3. The flight leader is crippled then shot down as is Dagger33. Again no chutes are seen. The rest of Dagger3 flight jettison their bombs and mix it with the Migs, damaging one with cannon fire before they break away. Finally, the Lebanese gain a radar lock on Dagger flight 1 and launch Matra 530 SAR missiles, shooting down Dagger13 from BVR. Yet again the Turkish pilot is unable to eject and the flight is thrown into chaos.
Chaos fills the sky as aircraft scatter in all directions and the raid goes to pieces:
Just like that four Turkish Huns are falling into the sea and their CAP flights have yet to react effectively. The engaged Syrians are weapons-depleted and break contact but the Lebanese still have IR missiles and haven’t had enough. One bomber flight is still mission-capable as is one SEAD flight. That changes abruptly as the Turkish CAP fails to engage twice and the Lebanese Mirages tear into the last bombers, shooting Dagger22 down and ending the mission. Once more there is no chute.
The mission is aborted and everyone recalled. In exchange for one damaged Mig the Turks lost five F-100s and their pilots and never made it to the target. The Syrian 67th performed wonderfully and the Lebanese surprised everyone and fought like lions in defense of their homeland. Of course the Turks want revenge, but what will NATO decide for the next move? Will the Turks be allowed another try or is it time to call in US Navy carrier air?
I rated the Turks as average due to their heavy NATO training requirements. The Syrians are also average since most of them are survivors of intensive activity against the Israelis. I figured the Lebanese are trained and little more but that didn’t seem to hold them back today.